Cabinet or folk art house half japanese and half western with sound unit installed therein

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for improving the mental condition of people by assisting in the establishment of a mood or harmony of effects which is soothing and tranquilizing. The apparatus includes a housing having visual and sound effects associated therewith which may be selectively operated to alter the mood of a room or other area.

United States Patent Yanase et al.

CABINET OR FOLK ART HOUSE HALF JAPANESE AND HALF WESTERN WITH SOUND UNIT INSTALLED THEREIN Inventors: Shigeru Yanase, Osaka; Katsutoshi Katsura, Ikeda, both of Japan Assignee: Daito Mokko Co., Ltd., Osaka,

Japan Filed: Nov. 14, 1973 Appl. No.: 415,885

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 6, 1973 Japan 48-5521 US. Cl. 274/2 Int. Cl? GllB l/00 Field of Search 274/2; 240/lO.l; 40/281; 84/l.02, 1.03, 1.28, 464

[ Nov. 4, 1975 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,293,612 8/1942 Montague 274/2 2,636,314 4/1953 Martinez 240/10.1 3,016,783 l/1962 Karraker 84/464 3,562,398 2/1971 Benjamin 84/103 Primary ExaminerRichard E. Aegerter Assistant Examiner.lohn W. Shepperd Attorney, Agent, or FirmA. Yates Dowell, Jr.

57 ABSTRACT Apparatus for improving the mental condition of people by assisting in the establishment of a mood or harmony of effects which is soothing and tranquilizing. The apparatus includes a housing having visual and sound effects associated therewith which may be selectively operated to alter the mood of a room or other area.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov.4,1975 3,917,283

F/ g. J

CABINET OR FOLK ART HOUSE HALF JAPANESE AND HALF WESTERN WITH SOUND UNIT INSTALLED THEREIN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to decorative structure of various kinds and relates specifically to structures having visual and aural effects for establishing a mood in a given area.

2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore, many efforts have been made to establish a particular mood in a room or other area and have included low lights and soft music as well as works of art such as paintings, statuary and the like. These devices normally have been separate, independent units such as rheostat controlled lamps, colored lights, record players, radios, etc. which are placed in a room in an effort to provide a desired harmony of effects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is embodied in a folk art cabinet wherein a simulation of a well-known style of house is equipped with a sound unit such as a tape recorder, 21 flash illuminating unit using flicker lamps, and an electric apparatus such as a motor for rotating a simulated water mill. For example, a time-honored Japanese straw-thatched house or a house in semi-European style is simulated as a folk art piece out of wood or other materials for decorative use in various places.

The present device is made to enhance the use of such a folk art piece by visual and sound effects from units housed within or otherwise accommodated by the folk art piece.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective of a folk art piece in accordance with the invention in which a cover for a hidden tape recorder unit is shown in the open position, and

FIG. 2 is a schematic electric current diagram used with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Outbuilding rooms 1 and 1', at the right and left, receive speakers 2 and 2' respectively. A main house 3 simulates the time-honored Japanese straw-thatched house. The main house 3 has a sliding door 4 which can be moved to expose or cover switches 5 and 5'. Switch 5 controls the operation of a flash illuminating unit such as flashing lamps (commonly called flicker lamps) 7 which shines through a window or opening 6. Switch 5 controls the operation of a motor 9, not shown in FIG. 1, located within the main house 3 and used for rotating a simulated water mill 8 which is mounted exteriorly of the house adjacent to the window 6 in a position to be illuminated by the lamps 7. A tape recorder 11, which has its own controls and switches of conventional nature, is provided on one side beneath the floor of the house and such recorder normally is concealed by a lid or cover 10. Appropriate wiring as indicated in FIG. 2 is provided.

The present device provides an aesthetically pleasing effect thereby contributing to a feeling of well-being through provision of visual and sound effects which are associated with a folk art house simulation, through speakers of a tape recorder within the house and to provide a sense of realism through illumination by lighting displays from the house which are associated with the water mill.

The unit may be used as an ornament in a hotel or in a home.

We claim:

1. A portable apparatus for creating a harmony of effects to establish a soothing tranquilizing mood comprising a base, a housing unit exemplifying a miniature Japanese styled house mounted on said base, said house including an enlarged central section and a smaller side section at each side thereof, each of said sections having a front wall, said central section having first and second openings in the front wall thereof, said first opening simulating a window, said second opening simulating a doorway, a movable decorative element simulating a water wheel mounted on the front wall of said central section adjacent to said first opening, motor means within the central section connected to drive said movable decorative element, illuminating means within the central section mounted to shine through said first opening and illuminate the movable element, said illuminating means including a flashing lamp, a pair of switches mounted within said house adjacent said second opening in the central section for independently controlling the operation of said motor means and said illuminating means, a sliding door selectively movably located within said second opening for hiding said switches when said door is closed, sound reproducing means located within said housing unit, said sound reproducing means being electrically connected to both of said switches so that said sound reproducing means is selectively operable when either of said motor means or said illuminating means are operated by said switches, each of said side sections having an opening in the front wall thereof, a speaker mounted within each of said side sections in alignment with the opening therein and electrically connected to said sound reproducing means, means for controlling said sound reproducing means, and a movable cover hingedly mounted on said base and normally covering the control means of said sound reproducing means. 

1. A portable apparatus for creating a harmony of effects to establish a soothing tranquilizing mood comprising a base, a housing unit exemplifying a miniature Japanese styled house mounted on said base, said house including an enlarged central section and a smaller side section at each side thereof, each of said sections having a front wall, said central section having first and second openings in the front wall thereof, said first opening simulating a window, said second opening simulating a doorway, a movable decorative element simulating a water wheel mounted on the front wall of said central section adjacent to said first opening, motor means within the central section connected to drive said movable decorative element, illuminating means within the central section mounted to shine through said first opening and illuminate the movable element, said illuminating means including a flashing lamp, a pair of switches mounted within said house adjacent said second opening in the central section for independently controlling the operation of said motor means and said illuminating means, a sliding door selectively movably located within said second opening for hiding said switches when said door is closed, sound reproducing means located within said housing unit, said sound reproducing means being electrically connected to both of said switches so that said sound reproducing means is selectively operable when either of said motor means or said illuminating means are operated by said switches, each of said side sections having an opening in the front wall thereof, a speaker mounted within each of said side sections in alignment with the opening therein and electrically connected to said sound reproducing means, means for controlling said sound reproducing means, and a movable cover hingedly mounted on said base and normally covering the control means of said sound reproducing means. 